Automatic piano.



MJ CLARK. AUToMATG PIANO.-

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 22, 19.07.

'Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

3 HEETS-SHEET l.

ltmtedv oct. 2o, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

M. CLARK. AUTOMATIC PIANO. n MPL10-Tron Hmm un 2, 1907. 901,323.

lM. CLARK. `AUTOMATIC PIANO. -APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1907.

Patented Oct.20, 1908.

3 SHEBTS-SHEET 3u 'provements in nutren s'rA.

Arana oneens.

MELvILLn CLARK, ork CHICAGO, i'LLiNors.

AUTOMATIC PIANO.

f No. 901,323.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2G, 1908.

Application inea may 22, 1907. serial- No. smoes. l

To all ilalwm it may concern.' i 4 =Be it known that I, MELVILLE Gromit, a

citizen ofthe United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented, new and useful Im- Automatic Pianos, of which the following is a specification, reference be@ .ing had to the drawings forming a part thereof.

vide in anautomatie piano a novel means 1to1.' accenting particular notes and for conor .at Will, and particularly by means pedal devices taken advantage of, section be-v jacent .parts vaway and a section The purpose of this invention is to protrolling' such aceenting, eitherautomatically of automatic control to produce the eiiiect of disi tinguishing the me y odyfrom accompanying parts of the music.-

u It consists in the elements and features of E construction shown and described -as indi-` cated in the claims. .f

In the drawingsz-Figure 1 is a fore-andaft verticalsection `of a portion of an automatic piano embodying this invention, the V primary pneumatic action beingA broken Ishown in a Vertical fore-arid-.aft plane at the same plane as Fig.. 3. Fig. 2 is at the line 2-2 on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail fore-and-aft vertical section through the pneumatic -action at the position of the primary pneumatic which controls the tone softening devices, other parts being shown in the vsame plane as Fig. l. Fig. 4., is a vertical right-,and-left section of the@ lower part of the instrument showing the;

construction for operating at will the soit ing made at the line 4-4 on Fig. v1.. Fig. `5 1s a .detail front elevation of the motor pneumatic for operating the toneq softening de; vices.. Fig. 6 is a detail plan of .a piece o'l`i` adapted to be einployed inthis invention. Fig. 7 :is .a detail elevation showing the tracker board and ad havingfeatures peculiar to this 'I FigzS is a section at the line 8-8 i perforated note sheetv invention. on 7.

in the drawings the piano case and cus- 3 ternary parts ofthe piano as constructed for -niannal operationare 4shown accordance with familiar construction, andlsuchzA parte will be referred to only .so tar es neces to identify the ,relation thereto oli. the;

'sary above andbelow the parte peculiar -to the invention, being referred to by their customary names. e The. pneumatic devices for automatically playing the piano comprise the pumpers, l.,

and exhaust bellows, 2, mounted lespeetively foundation board, 3, all these parts being constructed as a unitary structure secured below the key table, 5, the exhaust bellows being connected with the primary Chamber of the pneumatic action, as fuiiy described in'rny Fatent No. 795,81?,

dated August 1, 1905, and said pneumate .action comprising the primary pneumatic chamber, 6, and motor pnenmatics, 7, and

the Customary operating Connections (not shown in detail)y being mounted above the key table, .5, and above the rear part of the keys of the mannal,-that is, rearward of the portion exposed for manual playing, said pneumatic action being in position, therefore, to be inclosed by the case of the piano, all of which may be clearly understood from Fig. l.

In the particular feature of my invention whichrelates to accenting or melodizing, K

take advantage fof the means employed in the regular piano action, operated by the so-'oal-led .soft pedals for softening the tone.

lin/the drawings have illustrated my invention as applied to a piano action employing the means for this purpose which is most familiar. consisting in a hammer rest rail which is movable and connected with the sott pedal for movement to lirnit the retreating movement of the hammers, and I so to shorten the movement by which they strike the strings, thereby causing them to make the stroke with reduced velocity and force. llt will 'be understoodthat expedients beside the movable hamm-er rest rail, which Gil los

-most conveniently at 9, on the end cheek,

mary pneumatic chamber, 6, adjacent to the' cheek, 9, of the case there is mounted a motor.-

neumatic, 12, which is connectedl by aliexi- Ble tube,- 13, with thecorresponding primary pneumatic, 14, in .the primary pneumatic chamber, 6, at the end of the series of pri-l mary pneumatics therein, and from said primary pneumatic, 14, a duct, 15, extendsv to the tracker mouth, as hereinafter more particularly described. The primary pneumatic, 14, differs from the ordinary primary pneumatic 'which controls the motor pn'eumatics for operating the key strikers, in that the valve, 16, which it operates for controlling communication of the motor pneumatic, 12, with the exhaust air chamber and with the atmosphere .respectively is normally in position closing the communication by 4way of the port, 17, with the atmosphere, leaving open theport, 18, which puts the m'otor pneumatics in communication with the exhaust air. Whenever' the instrument is in use for automatic playing, so that there is exhaust tension developed in the exhaustbellows, 2, the motorpneumatic, 12, will be collapsed. The moving wall of this pneu matic is connected with .the arm, 8c, of the bell-crank-lever arm, 8a, of the hammer rest rail, so that it holds that arm upward and the hammer rest rail rocked inward toward the sounding board, 11, whenever the pneumatic, 12, 1s thus collapsed. The normal action of the instrument when played automatically will therefore be such as to play with only' moderate intensity, due to the shortened stroke of the hammers,V 20.

At each margin of the perforated sheet, 25,v

there may be cut short apertures, 25a, for registering with the mouth of a tracker duct, 2Gb, to which is connected the iexible tube, 15, leading to the primary pneumatic, 14, which controls the motor pneumatic, 12. Whenever such an aperture, 25a, registers with the tracker mouth, 26h, and admits air to the primary pneumatic, 14, the valve, 16, is shifted so as to put the pneumatic, 12, in communication with the atmosphere, causing it to be iniated, retracting the hammer rest rail so as to allow the hammers, 20, a longer stroke'. When this expedient isv employed for the purpose of emphasizing the entire chord, all the apertures of the perforated.

Sheet for that chord are cut withvtheir forward edges in line, and the apertures, 25,

alsodn line'with them. When it is employed for the purpose of emphasizing particular notes in the chord, as for distinguishing the melody from the accompaniment, the apertures, 25", for the melody are cut slightly in advance of the remaining apertures of the chord, and the aperture, 25, 1sl cut similarly in advance so as to be in line with the commencement of the apertures, 25h. The effect of this arrangement of the apertures, it will be seen, is that the hammer rest rail is retracted to position for allowing `the ham-- but immediatelythereafter, and before the` stroke is actually received by the string, the aperture, 25a, passing beyond its .tracker mouth, the latter will be closed, the motor pneumatic, 12, will be again exposed to the exhaust tension and collapsed, vthe hammer Arest rail will be restored to the advanced position, and will be at that position when tbc remaining notes of the chord are caused to be struck by the .registration of the remaining apertures of the note sheet for that chord reaching their respective tracker mouths. When a piece is cut forO emphasizing the melody throughout, an aperture, 25, will be cut on the margin of the sheet at the commencement of each chord,-that is, for each note of the melody,-and the apertures for the several notes of the melod will all be cut in advance of the'remaining apertures of the chords in which they stand, so that throughout the entire playing the melody note will be struck almost imperce tibly in' advance of the remaining notes of the chord, and with a full stroke, while4 the remainder of the chord 'will be' sounded more softly by reason of the softer stroke of the hammers, 20. The division of the hammer rest rail,

and the provision of marginal apertures, 25,

spect to said divisional line, butr when theI purpose is 'to emphasize either the bass or the treble notes wlthout regard to melody, all the.- apertures, 25a, will be cut on one side or .the other, according to the part to be emphasized.

When this' expedient is to be employed for emphasizing the accented beat of 'the measure throughout the .entire vchord on corses which .said accented beat falls, it will be un4 {derstood that 'the perforations ci the sheet will kall be cut in line, and the marginal aperture, 25, inline with them also, such` perforations being located only opposite the notes of the accented chords. When the sheet ispreferablyvlocated, as shown, under the forward edge of the key table in reach of the goperator, operates a valve, 29, which nornested by e `cent1@ tube, si, with the prt,

mally'eloses and is operated by the 'stop to open the mouth of a-duct, 30, which is conmary pneumatic, x14, said' tlexible tube, 31, being conveniently joined to the flexible tube, 1.5, by means of a Y, 32, at any convenient point, as illustrated. The manual operation of this stop, it Will be understood, has the' same effect as the automatic operation of the aperture, a, in the perforated` sheetuncovering the mouth of the tracker duct admitting air through the tube, 15, to the primary pneumatic, 14. When the operatordesires the entire piece or 4any extended portion of it playedloudly or with the full force of vWhich the instrumentis capable, the stop, 28,

will be held open, and for convenience it may be provided with meansfor locking it open,A

1"consisting'of an eccentric cam, 28, which may be rocked to the' dotted line position illustrated for that purpose.'

The devices described for operating the hammer rest rail to automatically or at will vary the force of any particular note or chord do not linteriore with the use of the instrument when operated manually, for it Will be observed that Whenever the action of 1 the pumpers'ceases, so that there is no exhaust tension produced in the bellows, 12, the motor pneumatic, 12, will be inflated Whatever be the position of the valve, 16, and the hammer restrail Will therefore, under such circumstances,-that is, with the instrument not in automatic use,-be at its retracted 'position, allowing the hannners, 20, full stroke. The customary means for operating the hammer rest railv by thc soft pedals is not interfcredwvith b v the devices above dcscribcd. Said customary means or a means v which may stand for any customary means of' operating the haunncr rest rail by the socalled sott pedal, shown in the drawings, consisting ci the levers, 40, 40, extending right. and left at the lower part oi the instrument, being fulcrinned at 41, 4l on :any convenient supports, as the'brackets, 42, said lovers being arranged so that at. their inner ends they extend past each other jfor a short distance and are both crossed by the soft pedal lever, 43, the depression of which `lcarries down the inner ends of both said levers, 40, causing their outer ends to be lifted and to thrust upward the pitman rods, 44, 44, which operate in proper guides, 45, mounted on the cheeks, 9, 9, and which imping'e at their upper ends under the arms, 8, 8, of the bell-crank-lever arms, 8, on the' respective sections of the hammer rest rail., The. connections of this soft pedal action, it will be observed, are such that none of the parts concerned therein are actuated in' the 'pneumatic actuation of the hammer rest 'railz that is to say', Vthe pneumatics, 12, do

not have to lift the pitmen, 44, nor operate the levers, 40. In order to give the hammer rest. rail quick action. in its retraction for -loud stroke, as well as in its advance for soft stroke, a light spring, 46, may be employed tending to rock itback. It will be stopped at the limit of such rocking action by the lodgment of the arm, 8, on the upper end of the nitanan, 44, and noother stop need be provided when the pitman'is resent. y

When a controller sheet o the character described is employed in .connection with the tracker board which is mounted for longitudinal adjustment,--that is, {oradjustment transversely with respect to the direction of travel of the controlling sheet,- for transposition, 'it is desirable to`- make provision for preventing such adjustment from displacing relatively to each other the lateral apertures, 25", .of the controlling.

sheet, and the corresponding duct mouths,

26h, of the tracker board, since these elements should register properly at all times Wit-hout regard to the transposition. In Figs. 7 and 8 there is shown a familiar construction of tracker board'mounted for adjustment for transposition as described, guides, 50, mounted on the cheeks, 9, serving to position and retain the tracker board, 51., which is provided with a rigid stem, 52, extending through one cheek and having an o'set arm, 53, which is engaged by a screw, 54, mounted on the cheekand rotatedr by means of its head, 55, to adjust .thevtracker board longitudinally. At thetwoends of the tracker board, 51, between the guide plates, 50, there are mounted supplemental blocks, 56, having the ducts, 26h, and these blocks, it will be observed, are not moved with the tracker board when the latter is adjusted for transposition, and the apertures, 25a, of the controlling sheet therefore may' register with the duct mouths, 2o, throughout the entire range of longitudinal adjustment 'of the tracker board.

1. ln an automatic piano, in combination with the sounding devices, a tone-modifier constructed for operating simultaneously with respect to an extended group of consecutive sounding devices', auto-pneumatic loo p playing devices comprising a tracker and a traveling controlling sheet, the tone'modifier being adapted when the autopneumatic playing devices are out of service-t0 assume a certain position with respect to the sounding devices; a motor pneumatic and connections by which when the auto-pneumatic playing devices are in service it holds the tone-moditier at a different position; a primary pneumatic for controlling such motor pneumatic; said tracker board and controlling sheet having respectively a supplemental duct and short supplemental apertures coperating therewith for causing action of the motor pneumatic to momentarily release the tonemodier controlling said primary pneumatic, such supplemental apertures'and the commencement of the apertures for the notes to be at'ected by the' release of the tone-modifier being cut out of time with the other apertures in their respective chords.

9i. In an automatic piano, in combination with the sounding devices, a tone-modifier constructed for operating simultaneously upon an extended group of consecutive vsounding devices; auto-pneumatic playing devices comprising a tracker and traveling controlling sheet; a motor pneumatic and connections by' which when the auto-pneumatic playing devicesy are in service it holds the tone-modifier normally at a position for softening the tone, said tone-modifier being adapted when released from said motor pneumatic to assume a position for intensiliedtone; a primary pneumatic for controlling such motor pneumatic, the tracker board and controlling sheet having respectively a sppplemental duct and supplemental apertures coperating therewith for controlling such primary pneumatic, such supple,-

'mental 'apertures and the commencement of the apertures for the notes to be affected by the release of the tone-modifier being out out of time with the other apertures in their respective chords. y

3. In an automatic piano, in combination with sounding devices, a tone-modifier constructed for operating simultaneously upon' an extended group ot' consecutive sounding devices; auto-pneumatic playing devices -comprising a tracker and a traveling coii,

i' trolling sheet; a motor pneumatic and connections by which when collapsed it holds the tone modifier at tone-softening position, said tone-modifier being adapted to assume a tone-intensifying position when free from the action of said'motor pneumatic; a primary pneumatic and valve connections by which it causes the motor pneumatic to be collapsed when said primary pneumatic is collapsed and expanded when the primary pneumatic is expanded, the tracker board and controllingsheet having respectively a supplemental duct and supplemental aper- .tures coperating therewith for controlling said primary pneumatic, such supplemental apertures and the commencement of the s ecial apertures for notes to be ailected 'being cut out of time with the other apertures in their respective chords.

4. In an anto-pneumatic piano, in combination with the piano action comprising tonemodifying devices, automatic playing devices comprising ai tracker and a traveling perforated controller sheet; pneumaticallyoperated and controlled means for, operating the tone-modifying devices, comprising a supplemental tracker duct and supplemental apertures in the controller sheet ccperating with such duct, the tracker and the traveling sheet being mounted for change of relative position transversely with respect to the direction of travel of the sheet, the supplemental tracker duct being formed .in a part which is mounted for preserving unchanged its position relative to the controller sheet in such change of relative-transverse position of the tracker and sheet. I

In an automatic piano, in combination with the tone-modifying devices of the piano action, automatic playing devices pneumatically operated andcontrolled; means for operating vthe tone-modifying devices, said means' comprising a supplementalv tracker duct and supplemental apertures in the controller t sheet cooperating therewith, the tracker board being mounted for movement transverse of the direction of travel of the controller sheet, the supplemental tracker duct being formed in a part which is mounted for preserving its position unchanged in such transverse movement of the tracker board. y

' 6. In an autoinatic' piano, in. combination with tone-modifying devices of the piano action; auto-pneiimatic playing devices; a motor pneumatic and controlling means for the same; connections by which when `the auto-pneumatic playing devices are in service said motor pneumatic holds the tone modifier in tone-softening position, said tone modifier being adapted to withdraw from such position ivlien released from the action of such motor pneumatic; a primary pneumatic for controlling the motor pneumatic, valve connections b v which such control is effected arranged foradmitting atmospheric air to the vmotor pneumatic when the primary pneu motor vpneumatic and connections therefrom` for holding the tone-softening devices noiinallyin tone-softening position when the auto-'pneumatic action is in service; a primary'pneumatic and valve operated thereby, for controlling said motor pneumatic adapted normally when the pri nary pneumatic is not inflated to give-the eter pneumatic communication with the exhaust chamber' of the auto-pneumatic action for holding said motor pneumatic collapsed; a supplemental tracker duct and supplemental perforations in the controller sheet coperatmg with such duet g for controlling such primary, such supplemental aperture and the apertures for the notes to be emphasized being cut in advance of the other apertures of the chord. l

ln testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 20th day of May, 1907. rl

` MELVILLE CLARK. YViinesses: fi

M. GER'TRUDE Ani', J. S. A'BBoTT. 

